Trip to London
by Lil1
Summary: Just imagine you’re a Muggle with the chance to visit Hogwarts… and to take part in the lessons, witness the fight over a unicorn foal with special powers, enjoy yourselves in Hogsmeade with the normal pupils… for 2 weeks. It’s great!!! You want t
1. The journey

Author: Lil  
Title: Trip to London  
Summary: Just imagine you're a Muggle with the chance to visit Hogwarts… and to take part in the lessons, witness the fight over a unicorn foal with special powers, enjoy yourselves in Hogsmeade with the normal pupils… for 2 weeks. It's great!!! You want to read it!!! wields  
magic wand  
Category: Drama/Action/Romance/Humor… it's got everything!!!  
Warning: Character death (not one of the main characters); and Snape washes his hair. Scary thought, isn't it?  
Rating: PG-13 for mild swearing and implied sexuality (noooooo, not the one(s) you think… rather the least expected one)  
Thanks: I know Lil wants to thank me (Ene) for beta-ing, writing the above and not interfering with the creative process *g* (meaning: Ene only did beta and is not responsible for contents)  
Disclaimer: Lil belongs to herself, I belong to myself, and the rest belongs to Mrs Rowling or whoever she sold them to (careless, really)  
Notes: Should anybody dare to flame Lil, Ene's wrath will come upon you (sans candlestick and following…*lol*) and the curse of Mary Malone and her seven blind orphans will come to haunt you so far over land and sea that God the Almighty won't even find you with a radio telescope. (This wording belongs to the author of a Star Trek novel, but I've forgotten which one so I also can't name the author. Shame on me.) You get the point, I presume.  
Short notice: This story is also available in German. Please contact me for that!

****

The journey

By the end of August Lil's telephone rang; it was Ene. "Lil, I finally finished my homework in public law," it raved out of the handset.

"My, great!" Lil roared back.

"Exactly"; Ene said, "and after all that stress from university, homework, and Middle-earth I definitely deserved myself a fine vacation. Let's go to London, go shopping, eat a lot, and hang around. I bid highest at ebay for a travel voucher, 20 Euros only; it's good enough for two train tickets to London. We only have to care for lodging. What do you say?"

Lil didn't consider it long: "I can hardly hold back. Gimme two days, I have to take leave first and then I'll phone you again, o.k.?"

"Okeedokie!"

All worked out just fine, and so both of them reached London after various interchange transactions in Cologne, Paris and….( the voucher wasn't good enough for trains like ICE or TGV) on September 1, a Sunday. King's Cross Station was overcrowded, noisy, and it was extremely hot – a heatwave was swashing over Great Britain, no, not really swashing over but sticking right there. 34° C in the shade! Even in the train Ene and Lil had almost been dissolving, especially since an elderly lady insisted on closed windows "for there's such a terrible draft". Now, the two girls just let themselves drop down to the platform with all their baggage and leaned against a stone pillar that wasn't cool, either.

"Tip some chili sauce over me and I'll pass as roasted chicken", Ene moaned and lifted a half-full bottle of Coke to her lips. The bottle emptied amazingly quick.

"Over there is an iceman's carriage", Lil said, "you think we'd make ourselves unpleasantly conspicuous if we put our legs inside?"

"So what, at a pinch I could feign a circulatory collapse", Ene replied.

Lil puckered her brow: "We still have to ask for accomodation at the tourist info but if I enter the brooding underground now I'll just melt away – even without being in love. I have to cool down here first."

"No problem, stay here, I just go to carry some Coke away." Ene got up moaning and groaning and walked rusty-like in the direction of the ladies room.

Lil sighed and steered. 'I wish I was in a dreamland without scorching heat and so many people. My, is it crowded here," she thought. Innumerable travellers with overloaded baggage cars flitted by on all sides. An old song came to her mind: 'Islands in the stream, that is what we are... Geez, some people seem to travel with their complete household. Oh, wow, such an old leather suitcase! Now, what's that? Looks like a parrot's birdcage. Does that poor animal have to take a train in all this heat? That verges on cruelty to animals. How can a single child have such a heap of baggage? Well, Old Man, quite hard to balance the suitcase in one hand and the open bottle of beer in the other, right? And – hey, where can the car with the birdcage be?' Lil leaned to the left and then to the right to look past the next pillar but there was nothing to see. "Hasty child", Lil thought. And the next kiddie showed up with a baggage car that seemed to defy gravitiy, otherwise the wheels would long have succumbed. 'Goodness gracious, isn't there a related grown-up to help? The child ruptures herself by pushing.' Lil stared fixedly at this slip of a little girl who with her overfull car made straight for a barrier with a wall behind it. 'Good Heavens, the maid can't stop the car!" Lil jumped up and saw – and saw… how car and child disappeared into the wall. 

Lil's jaw dropped, she leaned against the pillar again, and skidded down. She rooted for a headache tablet and a water bottle in her rucksack, and while she was washing down the tablet she could see from the corners of her eyes how two other teenagers disappeared into the wall; but these two had looked around before disappearing - however the woman with the bottle at her mouth might have seemed sufficiently diverted to them.

Behind herself Lil heard an excited female voice: " And I repeated again and again: Don't pack up so many things, how will you bring all this to the train when outside of the school you're not allowed to – well, you know! You'll neeeeever get through the barrier with three lugagge cars at the same time! And your father is not dispensable, as usual. I won't accompany you up to the platform, bad enough I have to push one car and pull another one. So, you have to pass through the barrier three times, that's what happens if you don't listen to your mother."

A seemingly frustrated blonde boy shoved a baggage car past Lil by supreme effort. Behind him walked, groching about and perspiring, a lady all in white: high heels, tight skirt, giant hat, and fur jacket. She looked like being sandwiched in between the two cars she had been scolding so much about and her scolding didn't stop: "And time presses. How will you manage this in time, Gideon?"

"If I weren't blocked by your long speeches, I could long be gone", Gideon grumbled.

"Oh, so that's what you can get! I won't take such bad manners from my own son! I hope they'll cure you of that in school, soon!" And the lady turned on her heel and let the cars simply stand besides Gideon. He only looked moaning to the ceiling and then went for the wall with the first car.

Ene came back. "D'you feel cooler, Lil?"

"Wha?" Lil asked absentmindedly.

"You o.k.?" Ene asked.

Lil seemed to be roused from a dream. "Oh, yeah, sure, and now I want fun! Grab your rucksack and come!" Ene followed Lil to the next pillar behind which she seemed to hide.

"What are you up to, Lil?"

"Shh, wait a moment and then we'll hop on this car under the big cloth."

Ene opened her eyes wide: "Under the cloth? Isn't it warm enough for you?"

Lil ignored the question and watched Gideon coming back to fetch the second car. The third car still stood around unsupervised. Right in front of the pushing handle there was a high tower on the car covered with a hanging cloth but at the front the car appeared to be empty, and the cloth hung over the front end like a tent. As Lil saw Gideon disappear into the wall again she pulled Ene's sleeve and both slipped - without anyone taking notice – under the cloth and huddled up with their rucksacks so there wouldn't form a dent in the cloth. 

Ene whispered to Lil: "Now, what's that gonna be?"

Lil gave her a momentous look and whispered in return: "Ene, we both experienced some really crazy things together but this here might become the cherry on the cream topping on the chocolate pudding. Think of Star Trek, Star Wars, Middle-earth, and that almost everything is possible."

Just a few seconds later the car moved but because of the cloth they couldn't see where they were driven to. Ene and Lil concentrated on wondrous worlds which were removed from reality – or seemed to be. There was a fizzing sound, it became dark for a moment, the background noise appeared to have changed, and finally the car halted.

"Stop, stop, careful with that suitcase!" Gideon's voice rang through the cloth and steps moved quickly away from the car.

Cautiously, Lil peered from under the cloth and then said: "Outta here!"

Ene followed Lil hastily to – what else should it have been – another pillar and asked reproachfully: "What was this to be? Fun? Do we have completely different points of view concerning fun? I've had better times before. Do I look like an old leather-bag you want me to act as luggage?"

"Oh, really", Lil asked, "and do you know where we are?"

"Lemme guess: London, King's Cross?"

Lil grinned: "Not bad, Ene! But here we have the opportunity for a much better journey than planned. Look here!" And Lil dragged Ene from behind the pillar and pointed to a big steam locomotive. It was beautifully painted and right at the front was written in golden letters: Hogwarts Express.

Ene disappeared behind the pillar again and gasped for breath: "Ohno-ohno-ohno! You are insane!"

Lil seemed amazed: "Yes, but that's nothing new anymore."

Ene was peeved. "Go away! I'm still sated by Middle-earth. I need rest and relaxation, Burger King and Soho – but no wizard's school!"

"Tommyrot, Ene! You've been to London so often and you can come here almost anytime, but Hogwarts? Darling, we'll never get a chance like this again." Lil tried to be very convincing. It seemed to work.

Ene let her shoulders drop and said: "Yes, o.k., you're right. But IT'S YOUR FAULT, no matter what happens! And you have to take care for our trip back!"

"Sure, I'll do anything!" Lil laughed, "but now we have to see how we can enter the train without a ticket. The conductors here check the tickets when you're boarding."

"Ah yes, looks like a damn short journey", Ene said. Lil's reproachful glance made Ene look to the ground with well performed shame.

"Nix", Lil replied, "This laddie here, Gideon, who pushed us through the wall, has got such an awful lot of baggage he won't be able to load all the stuff without the conductor's help. And when Mr Check-it lends a hand we'll scurry into a compartment." 

For a while they watched Gideon's baggage problems. Gideon discussed shortly with the conductor and then the two of them shoved Gideon's baggage to a waggon at the rear. This was the hoped-for opportunity: Ene and Lil jacked into the train, went past two, three compartments which weren't fully occupied, and then found an empty compartment. In, door shut, sit – great! They sighed with relief.

"Eating -finally!" Lil exclaimed and unwrapped a cheese baguette she had bought at the Paris train station.

"Break off a morsel for me", Ene said and Lil gave her a piece. Ene ate a few bites but then she started to cough nervously.

"What's wrong? Allergic to crumbs? Then gimme all your cookies right now!" Lil said dryly.

Ene mixed coughing and laughing but shook her head. "No, no allergy, and dismiss my cookies from your thoughts. I was just thinking: Do the magically gifted people perceive that we lack this talent? Will we immediately be recognized as lepers?"

Lil thought for a moment. "I hope not, I mean, they surely can perceive it but for the fact that they certainly don't expect any muggels here their suspicion should be limited – so with a little luck we might…"

"Hope, mean, might? That doesn't sound comforting to me. Be more precise!" Ene interposed.

"You're a good one", Lil said, "I didn't memorize the _Harry Potter_ books."

Ene moaned: "We're driving headlong to our doom!"

"My, think positive", Lil drawled, "Say to yourself: We're driving headlong to a great adventure! That sounds a whole lot better. Pansy!"

Ene had finished her piece of the baguette, folded up the armrests of her row of seats, and draped herself over three seats. "You surely can't distinguish between witch and muggle when it comes to sleeping persons", she said and closed her eyes.

Lil was still chewing and watched the platform. Then they heard a shrill whistle and the hissing of steam. A jolt shook the train.

"Are we moving?" Ene asked and lifted her head to look out of the window.

Lil gave her a disbelieving look: "No, just for you they pull the landscape past the train today."

The train ran through the country for more than an hour, now. Ene had actually fallen asleep. Lil listened to "Hair" on her Walkman and looked out of the window. She didn't notice the figure in front of the door eyeing the inside of the compartment. Finally, the door was opened and immediately shoved close again. A young woman with a black cloak and rankly spreading brown hair let herself sink on a seat besides Lil, folded her arms angrily before her chest, and pouted: "Men! Catastrophes on two legs!"

These words had even been louder than Lil's music.

"Ain't I right?" the young woman asked Lil.

Lil took her headset down, switched off the walkman, and said: "Yes, completely! But sometimes they're useful for rough-working."

The young woman smiled: "For VERY rough workings, so" she said and reached out her hand for Lil, "Hi, my name is Hermione Granger. I'm in this year's graduating class. I can't remember having seen you in Hogwarts before."

Lil cleared her throat and was looking for a plausible excuse: "Hi, my name is Lil-Wen Ceslas. I've never been to Hogwarts before. But your name sounds quite familiar to me."

Hermione lifted her eyebrows and replied: "Could be due to all the fuss about _Harry Potter_. Thankfully, not everyone notices at once. Actually, someone from Hogwarts blabbed out a secret at a friend's and then it showed that this friend is an author. What luck that in the wizard's world they don't pay much attention to muggels books. But where our worlds meet it was unbearable at times. The books have been bad enough, and then this movie! Last year, Professor Dumbledore really considered to postpone the date of enrollment from September 1. because kids were hanging around on the platform to see us depart for Hogwarts. Isn't that awful? From which school do you come – and your friend here that I also don't know and who apparently won't wake?"

'Damn, I thought she forgot!' it flashed through Lil's mind. "Ehm, a very small, unknown school in the Hindukush, not worth talking about. But that is exactly why we want to do a practical training at famous Hogwarts. Everybody needs to have something to show for oneself, right? Please, tell me a few details about what we're to expect when we'll arrive, now! I can hardly wait!"

With this she hit the right spot with Hermione because she was very proud of her school and could talk about it for hours. She did have something of a mistress but Lil tried as good as possible to store up all the information Hermione was letting out.

"Yey," Hermione said when it was already dark outside, "we'll be there, soon. I have to go back to my compartment and fetch a few things, but then I'll come back and accompany you to the school building, so I can show you this and that. Till then!" and while leaving she murmured: "If Ron doesn't apologize, his evening is already over!"

Ene sat up and said: "My goodness, she's talking like a waterfall! Do they mix prattle potation in their classes?"

"If yes she must have consumed about a hectoliter of it," Lil answered, "my ears need rest. How long have you been awake?"

"Lil, with this continuing torrent of words it is impossible for me to estimate. Maybe one hour but it seemed like seven to me."

Lil told Ene quickly what she made up in her need of finding satisfying answers to Hermiones questions. And suddenly Hermione was back.

"Ah, hello, we haven't been acquainted with each other, my name is Hermione Granger."

"Ene-Rys Walim," Ene said tired and took the hand of the young witch.

"Strange names", Hermione said, "one notices at once you're not from here."

To nip further questions to their persons in the bud Lil changed topic: "What about Ron? Did he apologize? And for what exactly?"

Hermione draw a deep breath and looked decidedly serious before she started: "Yes, for his own luck he apologized, but I'm not sure he really understood the problem – we'll have to talk about that intensively. Well, it's simply unbelievable what he advised me to do! For the final year I have to decide on an elective, and I was uncertain if I should take 'Deepened knowledge of magical plants of Africa' or 'Curses and maledictions in context of world religions'. And what did Ron say? He recommended to take the course: 'Masterly cooking for young witches' and adding, eventually I could think of our future together! Can you imagine?"

"What a macho!" Ene answered indignantly.

"Does he take the course 'Ironing for idiots?', then?" Lil asked.

Hermione felt herself well understood as her contently smiling face was showing without doubt. She smoothed her long hair back and continued with superior indifferent mien: "Of course, I immediately drew his attention to the fact that with this esteem of my abilities he can just send our FUTURE TOGETHER down the drain. Love is all very well and good, but he can't expect me with my prospects for the future to limit myself just to think about the welfare of his belly. I'm afraid he didn't wean himself sufficiently from his mother – well, no wonder with this super-mother. And Harry always tries to mediate, then; he should enter the diplomatic service. Unfortunately he doesn't understand that a proper quarrel forms an essential part of it. He is so badly in need for harmony. With Ron I can excellently row, that's good! And I love it when he aplogizes..." The train slowed down.

"Going straight to the carriages might be the best thing to do, so we're gone ahead of the greatest rush."

"And ahead of your dream man," Ene added.

"Be quiet!" Hermione said with an amused side-glance.


	2. Still no room

Still no room 

The three girls had made haste and now stood in front of the entrance to the castle.

"Where do you have to go now?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, see, I rummaged the note down to the bottom of my rucksack," Lil lied and added: "Just go, the letter says exactly whither we shall go and whom we shall meet. We'll find that. Thanks for your help!"

Ene put on a discontently puzzled expression. Hermione didn't notice and said: " Now, we'll meet again later. By the way, I belong to the house Gryffindor. If you're looking for me ask someone who also belongs to Gryffindor; he'll find me. See you!" And with this Hermione disappeared through a giant old wooden door through which pupils streamed by scores. Lil went a little aside from the entrance, followed by Ene and some nerved-sounding questions.

"What should this be? Now, here we are – all dressed up and nowhere to go. Hermione would just have taken us jolly good along..."

"Yeah, great!" Lil replied, "and she would have taken us straight to some teacher who knew at once what we're up to, and then? I didn't want to get Hermione into trouble – did you? If she had taken us into Hogwarts, trouble in indefinite measures would have been predetremined for her, right?"

Ene nodded. "Pheew, quite sure, but we can't stay here. We have to go inside. And we will have to confide in someone at school or where did you want to sleep? In the classrooms that will definitely be empty at night? Who knows what kind of stuff stands around and what monsters crouch around there! I won't doss there. I want a bed! And you know: It's all your fault!"

"Yes, thanks so much for this conversation, I'm glad we had such an open discussion about it!" Lil said coolly. "That Professor Dumbledore always seemed so fatherly to me; I'd like to confide our little problem to him."

"Little problem?" Ene asked, "now, this is the understatement of the year."

She stopped. "We're being observed," she whispered and her glance pointed behind Lil. Lil turned her head. Two young men stood there, one with dark and the other with glaring red hair.

"Sorry," said the carrot head, "but a little while ago you came here with Hermione Granger, correct?"

"Yes, why?" Lil asked.

"Well, look, I'm Ron Weasley, Hermione's boyfriend. This is Harry Potter," and he pointed to the dark haired beside him, who nodded slightly. Ron continued: "I surely don't want to quiz you, but please tell me what mood Hermione is in now! If I don't find the right words in the next half hour, her looks will send me sinking under the table at the first banquet of this school year – I don't see it a good start. Please, please, please!"

Ene chuckled and only managed to utter: "That quickly a macho becomes a pansy".

Ron seemed to pump up like a May beetle with indignation.

Lil grinned and said: "Well, Ron, Hermione is slightly peeked because of your remark upon the elective. You have to give her a broad wink that you don't see her as your future cooking-cleaning-washing woman."

Ron pulled a face. "Hmm, yeah, I surely know what she can do," he replied subduedly.

"Well, then go and tell her! And say you're sorry! And don't be sparing in your praise!" Ene told him in an peremptory voice.

Ron turned to the door and said: "Harry, let us go! I have to try to make good weather in love land!" He raised his hand in Ene's and Lil's direction: "Bye, you!"

"Yes, bye!" Harry added and off they went.

Ene picked up her rucksack. "We better go inside now, too, and make ourselves scarce in some corner till it's more quiet. Out here we attract just more attention. And when the door is shut we'll look quite clueless."

Lil agreed silently and then they both entered the castle. They felt like being in the Dark Ages. Walls made of big grey-brown square stone, occasional wall decorations like banners in rich colors, and paintings in which the portrayed people really moved. The portrait of a noble lady kept her eyes on Ene and Lil. "So much for the topic 'unnoticed entering' in these ruins," Lil murmured to Ene.

From the right, sounds which indicated a gathering of people reached their ears.

"That should be the Great Hall," Ene said. "If they gather around there already we should unobtrusively stay in the background till the party is over. We can't have a conversation in strict confidence there with Dumbledore."

"Yes, but standing about here in the hall we look like unwanted goods," Lil replied. "We'd better go into one of these hallways down here. I do not trust the stairs. You remember the movie?"

Ene nodded and then they slipped away into the corridor diagonally left of them. It seemed very bare and in the dim light of torches not even inviting.

"Ooff," Ene groaned, "no matter! I just sit down on the floor and have a smoke." She let herself drop down and started to roll a cigaret.

Lil sat down beside her. "You know what I'm thinking about? These heavily laden tables over there. I'm famished," Lil said wistfully.

Ene lighted her cigaret, took a breath, and blew a lot of smoke into the corridor. "Yep," she said, "a wonderful opportunity to start a diet."

Lil looked at her in horror: "You're sick! In 'diet' you find the word 'die'. I won't do that."

"Who died?" a high-pitched male voice asked suddenly. Ene and Lil winced. Out of the hallway's left wall a whitish and transparent head peeped out, almost looking like fog. Ene coughed some smoke clouds.

"Are you the Nearly Headless Nick?" Lil asked the ghost who now floated out of the wall entirely.

"Certainly, but due to politeness you might bring yourself to calling me 'Sir Nicholas'!" the questioned one answered in an exaggerated tone and looked down on Ene. "And who are you? Someone who can't soon enough rush towards lung death?" He laughed like a fruitcake.

"Na, at least my head doesn't tip over when I smoke," Ene replied maliciously.

"Oh, aren't we a little arrogant, here? These things might happen sooner than you think. We have a very pretty guillotine in the cellar..." Nick said piqued.

"Please, forgive my impudent changing of topic but do you know if the party has already begun?" Lil asked.

"No, not yet. Or do you think I'm uninvited?" Nick replied and looked defiantly at Lil.

"Oh, I'd never dare," Lil said, "for I'm hoping for your help."

"Help? From me?" Nick sounded flattered.

"Well, yes, if it is in the range of possibilities my friend and I would like to have a short talk with Professor Dumbledore before the party starts. Would you mind bringing us to him?" Lil tried to sound as charming as possible.

"Now, if we hurry it should be possible. But, however, whether you're ... ehh ... friend," he looked disparaging down on Ene, "will make a good impression, there, I'd rather doubt.."

"I'm sure it will work for a really short conversation," Lil interposed quickly as she saw Ene taking a deep breath.

"So, then follow me!" Nick summoned the two girls and glided through the next best wall.

"Ehm, Sir, aren't there wall-free ways?" Lil called. Ene stubbed her cigaret out on the stone floor.

Nick came back. " Oh, I forgot. Certainly. Follow me!" He floated along the hallway and Ene and Lil hurried after him with their rucksacks.

After several halls and stairs which had been illuminated as badly as possible Nick pointed to a door and said: "This is the room of Professor Dumbledore. And now please excuse me, I have to escort my dinner partner to the Great Hall." Flupp, he got chewed up by the next wall.

"I knock, you talk," Ene told Lil and: "Don't forget, it's all your fault!"

"Yeeeeeaah," Lil said drawling, "how could I forget as long as you spread it on my bread every thirty minutes?"

Ene knocked three times.

"Come in!" a voice sounded from inside. Lil and Ene looked at each other, then Ene pressed down the door handle and opened.


	3. Mea culpa

Mea culpa 

Professor Dumbledore sat at his desk and sent an amazed look through his semi-lunar glasses to the two entering women.

"Good evening, and please excuse the disturbance!" Lil began when she and Ene had arranged themselves in front of the desk.

"I don't want to hurt your feelings," Dumbledore said, "but I really can't remember you. Who are you?"

Lil took a very deep breath and told who they were, where and how they came here (she concealed the names of Gideon and Hermione to save them from trouble), and that now they didn't quite know what to do. "I'm to blame for it - with my curiosity. Please, don't be too angry, it was too tempting! I didn't want and still don't want to cause any damage. Actually, now we've seen what we wanted to look at and you can send us straight back. Did I mention I'm to blame for it? Punishments are exclusively for me, please, it's not Ene's fault."

Ene stood motionless, Lil played nervously with her fingers. Silence. Seconds lasted endlessly.

"Hmhmhm," Dumbledore made and the corners of his mouth twitched. And then he laughed – he was roaring with laughter. "Hahahaaa, you simply came in here and no-one spotted you as muggles? And no-one stopped you? I'm looking forward to telling Professor McGonagall about it! Oh dear, mighty wizards and witches who could have taken on unbelievable camouflage and wanted to find fault with us didn't even dare to come here. But you two, plain Muggles, walk in here unhindered and put the best wizards and witches to shame! I haven't had such a good laugh in a long time! Hahahaha!"

Ene and Lil looked as if they've learned the proof that astronomy was swindle and the earth was flat.

The professor took off his glasses and wiped a few tears of laughter from his eyes. "Now, who would have thought that this new school year might start that humorous? But, as I see," his voice calmed down again, "you're not in the mood for laughing. Yes, what are we to do with you? Of course, tonight you can't ride back with the Hogwarts Express. And besides, there should be a little punishment."

Lil swallowed dryly.

"You told some – unnamed – student about a practical training, right? That's a wonderful idea! You will get through a training for, let's say, two weeks. That's what I consider..."

A knock on the door. "Come in!" Dumbledore called.

Professor McGonagall opened the door, entered with a puzzled look at Ene and Lil and started: "Professor, the first-years will be here soon and we should..."

"Ah, Minerva, how wonderful you turn up right now! Step closer, I have to tell you this before we go to the Great Hall. Look, these two young ladies..."

And Professor Dumbledore informed Professor McGonagall of the whole story. While doing so, a little smile played around Dumbledore's lips, whereas the face of Professor McGonagall grew increasingly strict; her mouth seemed to be one single dot.

Evidently, she didn't like the idea about the practical training at all. She threw a look over to Ene and Lil which would have degraded every dragon with seven heads to a servile pet doggie, and then she said: "And how are these two Muggles to get over two weeks among witches and wizards alive and physically unharmed? The missing witchcraft will immediately be noticed even by the most stupid student."

Dumbledore nodded: "Yes, but we never had trainees at Hogwarts before. I hereby lay down as a rule that trainees from other schools are not allowed to perform magic here. They should only assist the teachers with inferior work, watch, and learn. Minerva, I think it best if you take the two under your wing for their first day tomorrow to explain the essentials. After that, please assign them to different teachers, they should change teachers after a few days so they can _get a general idea_," he twinkered, "but above all to prevent any teacher or student from noticing during a longer period that the trainees lack even the basic knowledge of witchcraft."

Ene bit her lips, Lil drew a deep breath.

McGonagall wasn't amused: "You really consider this to be a good idea, Professor? Think of the high reputation of our school! If this is going to be public..."

"... then I will explain," Dumbledore said. "I certainly consider it good idea the longer I think about it. Outside the school our students live ever closer to the Muggles, mixed marriages are quite common. Witches and wizards live unrecognized in the Muggles' world – why shouldn't muggels live unrecognized in our world for some time? Let's regard it as an experiment and as a test for teaching staff and students: Let's see who'll find out first that these trainees are Muggles. Because for this, Minerva, it takes more than to take a good look. After all, the headmaster, that's me, and therefore the whole staff take the line that here are two witches who are worthy to complete a practical training at our renowned institute. Whoever assumes to have made out these two as Muggles is to bring him- or herself to advance this opinion openly – and with this to know better than the whole staff. This might be a very hard examination, don't you think?"

He looked expectantly at the professor. She lowered her head a little and replied: "Well, if you want to look at it like this, why not. I never had anything against examinations, especially hard ones."

Dumbledore nodded and gave a searching glance at Lil and Ene. "Ladies, you have to promise us not to tell anyone who you are and what we have arranged here. Otherwise the examination wouldn't be any. So, do I have your promise?"

Ene and Lil gave their affirmations and swallowed dryly.

McGonagall looked intensely at the two trainees and said: "Fine, so that's settled. But now we really should be going to the Great Hall. Ladies, leave your luggage right here; we'll take care of it later. Come with me! I'll take you to the hall and there you will wait at the side of the teachers' table until I beckon you to come forward and introduce you. You better be silent for you might give yourself away too early. You have to be very watchful the next weeks and I expect you to follow my orders."

All the way to the hall Ene and Lil received countless similar admonitions and quickly conjured-up used black coats so they wouldn't attract attention.


	4. We are the newbies

We are the newbies 

The first-years had been assigned to the four houses by the Sorting Hat. The students were obviously in a good mood, maybe because of the expected excellent meal which should magically appear on the tables. Today they had to wait a little longer for the banquet. Professor Dumbledore got up and all heads turned towards him.

"I'd like to start our new term together with the announcement of two news: a great festivity and a trainee program. Concerning the first: all students from third grade on are allowed to leave for Hogsmeade the Saturday after next because the popular meeting place the Three Broomsticks will celebrate its 400th anniversary. The landlord has planned a major dance festivity so you're allowed to dress up as much as would be undesirable at our school. And concerning the second: For the next two weeks all of our teachers," all teachers seemed considerably amazed, "will have to work twice as much for they are asked not only to impart the subject matter to the students but also to give trainees profound insight in our workday routine. It is true that the trainees are to assist the teachers but here I have to fix an unchanging boundary since the trainees are still undergoing academic training - but at another institute. So I can't permit them to work any magic here. I ask all of you to watch out for tasks that can only be handled with magic should not be assigned to the trainees. Professor McGonagall?"

McGonagall got up and beckoned Ene and Lil to come forward; the two had been standing like paralyzed on the right behind the teachers' table. Slowly the two not-witches in their black cloaks came forward.

McGonagall continued: These two ladies will undergo the mentioned trainee program here. Ene-Rys Walim," Ene nodded very leisurely, "and Lil-Wen Ceslas," Lil insinuated a bonsai bow. "Tomorrow I will give them an introduction to our school, then they will be assigned to different teachers and will attend the respective lessons. For they do not belong to any houses the ladies will be accommodated in guest rooms, but here they should better eat with the students. I hope there will be two more seats at the tables."

From far behind Hermione waved her hand. 

Professor McGonagall showed the hint of a smile: "Miss Walim, Miss Ceslas, apparently you're already expected. Please," and she pointed at the Gryffindor table. Ene and Lil walked as carefully as if they had to blaze their trail through precious crystal vases down the pedestal and to the back to Hermione.

"I was pretty sure we could eat together, that's why I saved two seats," Hermione said with a radiant smile.

Ene and Lil sat opposite to Hermione and Ron, besides sat Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. The common greeting was swamped by Dumbledore's words: "May this festive occasion bring as much joy to all our hearts as we hope for the whole school year!"

And with this the most marvellous dishes and beverages appeared on all the tables.

Ron helped himself without hesitation and Neville did the same. Lil reached for a pitcher with juice.

"Lokrimeberry juice, easily digestible and fitting to almost everything, like a good wine. Did you have that at your school, too?" Hermione asked.

"Not as far as I can remember," Lil replied and poured some juice into her glass.

All filled up their plates, only Lil just drank and eyed the dishes closely.

"Mhm, Lil, this is suitable for you," Ene said and showed to Lil the filled pastry she had bitten into. "Look, only vegetable filling."

"Thanks," Lil answered and took two similar pieces of pastry from the big plate before her. 

"He?" Ron said with his mouth full.

"Are you a vegetarian?" Harry asked.

"Vege-what?" sounded Ron.

Hermione sighed. "Vegetarian, Ron, she doesn't eat meat."

"I couldn't do that," Neville said and reached for a cutlet.

"I just said the same," Lil said, "but it's quite simple. I also cured myself of having tea, coffee, and alcohol. You just have to want it."

"Why does anyone want that?" Ron asked disbelievingly.

"Let her eat in peace, Ron, you can ask her a lot during the next two weeks," Hermione reprimanded him, and to Ene and Lil she said: "You have to tell me where your rooms are so I can visit you. You are not allowed to know the password for our tower."

Ene nodded and said: "Yes, when we will know for ourselves where we're gonna stay. There hasn't been enough time, yet. We'll get our rooms after dinner."

Suddenly, Neville started to cough and stared at his plate dumbfoundedly. There was a small hillock of little round whitely balls – and apparently this hillock had been quite bigger a moment ago. 

Neville moaned: "I forgot! I cannot take rabitzes! Is Madam Pomfrey already in the hospital wing?"

"How bad is it? Will it produce immediate effect?" Ene asked. "Wouldn't it suffice if you went to the toilet and stuck your finger in your throat?"

Neville gave her a puzzled look.

"Well, I mean, let the food keep running through your head again and flush it away."

Laughing, Ron spluttered pumpkin juice out of his nose.

"Yeah," Neville drawled, "that might work." Then he sprang up and hurried out of the hall.

Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Lil laughed and Ene said: "I don't know anyone else who forgets the possibility to barf."

After the meal, the hall cleared noticeably. Neville had been away for a short time only; apparently he had relieved himself and suffered no damage.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall came to their table and said: "May I ask the ladies to follow me, now? There are a few things to be settled before night's rest."

She headed for the door and Ene and Lil waved to their neighbours at table and followed the professor out of the hall.

"They're nice," Neville said.

"And funny," Harry added.

Professor McGonagall led Ene and Lil to the ground floor where she assigned to them two rooms situated side by side. Their luggage was already there.

"Hey," Ene called, "here's even a bathroom unit with a shower!"

McGonagall lifted her head a little higher: "I do not know what you expected, but even witches and wizards do no longer live as in the Dark Ages, anymore. Strictly speaking, even in the Dark Ages we had much more modern conveniences than Muggles. In your cupboards you will find a substitute magic cloak and – just for decoration, one might say – a wand which is of no use to you. You don't have to wear the school uniform for you are no Hogwarts students but please attach importance to sober colors. This shouldn't be hard for you, Miss Walim. How do Muggles call this style?"

"Gothic," Ene answered.

Casually, McGonagall explained a jumble of school rules: when you're allowed to leave the building, when there are lessons and mealtimes, where in no case you should dare to go to and so on. She ended remarking: "Tomorrow after breakfast I'll meet you in the hall and question you; you see, this evening you will occupy yourselves with the books lying on the tables in your rooms. In these books you will find the basics of magic and this school. For your own safety you should internalize the texts because what might happen to you in the contrary case – well... I wish you a good night!"

"Thanks, the same to you," Ene and Lil answered dryly who both had become very pale.

Ene moaned: "Lil, now look at these thick old books! The night would have to last at least eighty hours for us to read all this."

The four voluminous books seemed to be older than a hundred years.

"So," Lil said, "I'll go to my bower and start studying. But first I'll have a shower – today I surely sweated blood and water."

Ene grinned. "Not just you. Well then, read and sleep well! Till tomorrow!"

"Yep," Lil answered and stepped out of the door, "and to you the same."


	5. Who is going to put us up?

Who is going to put us up? 

In the morning, Ene heard Lil rumble in the side room and went over.

"Mo'ning, how far have you come with the books?" she asked.

Lil was pulling up black leggings and sighed: "Not too bad. Should be enough to get a general idea but if one of the profs asks me to recite some spells then I have drawn the golden looser card."

Ene looked out of the window and said: "Same goes for me. Tell me, when you woke up this morning, was there something unusual?"

Lil grimaced: "Yeah, the room was gone. I was lying in a bed standing in the midst of ruins of a castle. Only when I bounced up wide awake, the walls and lock, stock, and barrel reappeared."

Ene nodded: "I experienced the same thing. Obviously, we always have to realize time and again that everything here is real, otherwise this anti-muggel spell shows effect and we'll see what we should see. Right now, I'm more horrified by what I see anyway and that is I won't have enough tabac for the next two weeks. Crude!"

Lil had finally slipped into her shoes and asked: "Are you going without make-up today?"

Ene turned around: "What? No, but we still have time till breakfast. You wanna go to the hall, already?"

"Yes," Lil replied, "Maybe I'll meet Hermione or some other Gryffindor who can notify her. She wanted to know where we're lodged."

"Yeah, go, then," Ene said, "and I'll put some vampire look onto my face."

As Lil entered the hall, about ten students were already busy with their breakfast, Hermione and Ron being among them. They greeted each other, Lil told them about the rooms Ene and she lived in, and Hermione promised to make a visit after the lessons. Little by little, all the students came in and the communal breakfast dragged on.

Finally, Hermione said: "O.K., Neville, now we'll go through the things you didn't understand in the last potion lesson, again, for otherwise Snape will get a fit of rage. Till then, you!"

She and Neville left, but Ron and Harry stayed.

"And, Ron, is the sun shining again between you and Hermione?" Ene asked.

"Naturally!" grinned Ronn, "at least I know my cutie. I'm just a little careless with my words, sometimes."

Now Harry grinned: "Sometimes? As much as you both are quarreling you're doing it all the time."

Ron looked deep into Harry's eyes: "You're plainly too feeble to stand it. Besides, you as a perpetual single have not the faintest idea of these things. Why is our hero still going solo? You have acieved so much, and the fear of You-know-who would surely not prevent girls from dating you. Think about it."

And with this, Ron stood up and left. Harry watched him leave. Ene and Lil felt just left over.

"Hooah, my contact lense!" Ene cried suddenly and reached for her right eye. "Lil, I have to find a mirror and put the beast back into place. I'll be right back!" Gone she was.

Lil looked at Harry: "We shrews are difficult to handle, aren't we?"

Harry sighed: "Nay, not more difficult than a best friend who is given to exaggeration."

Lil knitted her brow: "Did he exaggerate? Are you no perpetual single?"

Harry silently looked at her for a moment, then he said: "Surely not perpetual. For a short time I had a girlfriend once. Hmmm. Well, there was a problem, see, the boyfriend she had before me had died. It wasn't my fault but I was somehow involved and she had to think about it all the time. We just didn't have a good start and so it didn't work out for long. But that was some years ago."

Lil nodded: "Sounds deeply depressing. But if it was years ago, why don't you start something new? Here are crowds of female beings – or male, as the case may be."

Harry pouted his lips: "No boys, thanks! Right now, I concentrate on my exams. It's only a few months and after that I still have years to... do something else. Besides, it doesn't only depend on me; the girl should like me, too."

Lil lifted her brows: "Well, that shouldn't be a problem. How could anybody not like you?"

Now Harry lifted his brows: "Do you like me, then?"

"Sure," Lil said casually.

Ene sat down besides Lil, again. "So, contact lense fixed. Did I miss anything?"

Lil threw her an enervated glance: "What could you possibly have missed here? The seventeenth course of breakfast?"

Professor McGoangall made her way towards them: "Follow me to the teachers' room, Ladies, there's a lot of work to be done."

They went out, only Harry stayed put and seemed to think hard.

Ene and Lil entered the teachers' room after McGonagall. The whole room was panelled with dark wood and in the middle stood a mighty table around which the teachers of Hogwarts had taken their seats. Ene and Lil were assigned to seats at the end of the table. The sun shone directly into the room so that some teachers already squinted their eyes.

"Ms Ceslas, please close the blinds!" McGonagall ordered and Lil walked over to the windows' side. Every window had a blind of wood matching the panelling of the walls. Lil began to let down the blinds.

Professor McGonagall was already talking to the other teachers: "We will now decide when the trainees will go to whom. The trainees are to learn how a lesson is planned, how it actually turns out, and what reflections on the lesson are to be done. Does anyone consider him- or herself unable to impart this in the next two weeks? Nobody? Very good! Who of you could..." A loud crack interrupted her.

"What happened now?" she asked reproachfully and looked at Lil who stood besides the last bright window; a faint cloud of mortar dust hovering in front of her, and at her feet laid the blind.

Lil still held the draw-string in her hand and looked absolutely haggard: "The wood-curtain surrendered to gravity..."

"Pardon?" McGonagall asked irritated.

And then they all heard a giggle that turned into a soft singsong: "Heeheeheeheehee, here a screwy and there a screwy, whoopsie, what's there you see?" Peeves the ghost hovered leisurely in the corner and grinned while looking at the mishap.

McGonagall's eyes narrowed to very small slits glued on Peeves and she hissed in murderous tone: "Clear off or Professor Snape and I will have a serious conversation with the Bloody Baron! He recently mentioned something about a ghost deadfall..." 

Peeve's face became almost shapeless. Something in McGonagall's words or tone must really have struck him because he disappeared through the wall without further ado. Lil took her seat besides Ene and now the teachers agreed on who should take the trainees on which days. This first Monday they should both stay with Professor McGonagall, from Tuesday on they should attend other teachers' lessons for two days each, Saturdays and Sundays were kept free for further studies in the library and working on their own notes. During the first week, Ene was assigned to Professor Binns and Madam Hooch, the second week Hagrid and Professor Snape should be responsible for her. Lil had the Professors Flitwick and Trelawney for the first week and in the second week Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout. Madam Pomfrey wasn't really a teacher but Lil had shown interest in medical topics and Madam Pomfrey had asked for assistance because she was brewing some indian medicinal potion called Kalidasania, which needed a lot of attention.

After all was settled the teachers went to their classrooms, McGonagall instructed Mr Filch, the caretaker, to repair the demolished blind, and then she led Ene and Lil to a classroom where she would soon teach transformation. There were another countless preachings for the trainees and McGonagall really asked for details out of the ancient books before the students arrived.

When it was time for lunch, Mc Gonagall dismissed the students and expressed a trifling praise: "Well, you haven't stepped beside the row as often as I thought. Maybe you will make it through these two weeks. Come back here after the lunch."

Trifling, really.


	6. Gaudeamus igitur

Gaudeamus igitur

The days seemed to fly by. Not always, of course. In the mornings, when the rooms were invisible to them for a while, Ene and Lil felt lost and lonesome. But finally, they needed only mere seconds to see everything again. Luckily, something like this didn't happen during the days; they saw school just like all the students did – and sometimes were as unnerved by the lessons as the others were.

After two days classes with Professor Binns Ene said if she had to hear the word 'goblin revolt' one more time she'd have a screaming paroxism. And cleaning the broomsticks after every flying lesson given by Madam Hooch fed her up to the teeth. But to watch how the first-years were hanging on ther broomsticks like minced meat seemed so funny to her that she had to start laughing by the mere thought of it.

Lil had a lot of fun with the classes of Profesoor Flitwick even if she had to duck constantly because of flying-around objects. However, the two days with Professor Trelawney did her no good; the strange, heavy odour in Trelawneys tower room set Lil half asleep and this lasted until long after the lessons. Lil was happy Trelawney didn't know anything about cars or computer mice for the teacher constantly looked at her piercingly and foretold things like: "You should buy a new broomstick; I can see you going enormously fast but much too close to the ground" and "You will suffer a nervous disease in your right forefinger one day, my inner eye sees your finger twitching constantly".

At dinner on Friday Lil told about it and Harry said: "Be happy, she always foretold my death. Can't recommend it."

"Yeah, Potter, what a pity this foretelling is still waiting to be fulfilled!" a sneering voice came up behind him.

Ene and Lil looked up and saw a blonde young man flanked by two guys out of whom you might easily have made four people; they immediately realized that this team and wagon were made of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Harry didn't even look up and said: "Shuddup, Malfoy!"

Malfoy put on a malicious expression and said: "Now, does Dumbledore's darling fear an early death? Don't care, Potter, because then you will at least be released from the consequences of this false decision for this... er... ," he looked disparagingly down on Hermione, "would-be magician."

Ron clenched his fists, but Hermione put her hand on his arm and indicated him to keep cool.

Harry put down his glass, looked up to the ceiling and said quietly: "The release from Malfoy would be my greatest fortune."

Malfoy's expression got dark: "Careful, Potter! Most of the time you realise you chose the wrong side when it's too late. And now you're also wasting your time on people from unknown schools...," and he looked derogatorily down on Ene and Lil while Crabbe and Goyle smiled arrogantly but foolishly.

"Oh, close your fly, Malfoy!" Lil remarked casually, and when Malfoy looked down his body in alarm she added in Harry's direction: "My, this one's so humourless! Is he as easily fooled by 'your shoelace is loose'?"

Malfoy hissed: "As guests you shouldn't try to make a big one, here! You just don't know who you're messing with."

Ene grinned: "Yes, we do, with the master of Brutus and Nero who are always at his heels," and she pointed at Crabbe and Goyle: "And, haven't you been given command to sit, Guys?"

"You, see, you, we are...," Goyle gasped for breath, Crabbe didn't seem to be thinking of anything at all.

Just Malfoy squeezed a single sentence through his teeth: "You will laugh on the other side of your face."

With this he turned around and left the hall with his companions.

Hermione finally let Ron's arm go, and promptly Ron seemed to explode: "I'm gonna shut him up one day even if it's the last thing I'll ever do!"

Neville changed the topic and asked Ene and Lil: "We're allowed to leave for Hogsmeade tomorrow to do some shopping before the feast. Will you come along?"

"I think, we have to talk it over with Professor McGonagall but if we're allowed to go, surely we'll come along!" Lil said.

Ene leaned over to her and whispered: "Have you left your brain in the cupboard? Our finances look bad or do you have lots of magicians' money?"

Hermione had heard her nonetheless and said: "Well, if you are a little short of money we might stand you a butterbeer."

"Or a juice," Harry added as he noticed Lil's wry face.

McGonagall permitted their excursion to Hogsmeade after she obliged Hermione to look after the trainees during their stay there; they should never stray through unknown districts on their own. 

Late that evening Lil and Ene found small purses with coins on the tables in their rooms, and a slip of paper on which Dumbledore had written "Have fun in Hogsmeade, and keep something for the feast next Saturday" with silvergrey ink.

It turned out to be a marvellous Saturday! Presumably, Ron wanted to show Ene and Lil every magic joke in Zonko's shop and explain what improvements his brothers had already invented. Lil and Ene, now that they had money, wanted to spend their money on sweets but Harry and Hermione warned them against every second candy Ron recommended. Derwish and Banges was crowded with students who were looking for an outfit for the great feast.

Hermione declined: "I can conjure up better shreds than everything in here."

Finally, all together entered the Three Broomsticks. Ene had her first butterbeer and Lil really got her juice.

Madam Rosmerta stood besides the table for a moment and asked: "So, will you be here next Saturday for the big party?"

"By all means!" Ron said beaming from ear to ear.

"Who do you have for the music?" Hermione asked.

Rosmerta seemed very proud: "We have band from Scotland called The Charming Bagpipes, and then there is one of these newfangled, how do you call this, eh, Deesey..."

"DJ maybe?" Hermione marked up.

"Yes, exactly, such a DJ from London who wants to use the rest periods of the band to make some Muggle music popular here. Maybe the young ones like it."

"Will he take listerners' requests?" Ene asked.

Rosmerta examined her in astonishment before she answered: "If you know some, surely. This DJ was expensive enough and his references say that he is able to present more than 7000 compositions. However, he doesn't play them himself, he has some kind of singing side table which is keeping the music in mind, so to speak, and then is bringing it back to the listeners' ears. I'm very excited about it." Then she went back to the counter.

All the way back to the castle the great feast was the only talked about topic. Hermione, Lil, and Ene arranged to meet in the library on Sunday to look up the best spells for producing excellent evening gowns. Ene and Lil disappeared into their rooms and Hermione, Ron, and Harry went up to the Gryffindor tower.

At Sunday's breakfast there was another clash with Malfoy. He had spread the rumour, Ene and Lil had behaved so badly at their school that they were expelled from school, and to bridge some time they chose the trainee program at Hogwarts. While the Slytherins were already giggling, Dean Thomas, who dated a girl from Slytherin, pulled himself together and told Ene and Lil about the story. The two just looked at each other and went straight over to Malfoy's table. All heads turned towards them. Crabbe and Goyle stood up threateningly but Ene and Lil hugged the two boorish guys and cuddled them; the boys were just flabbergasted. Malfoy dropped his bagel and the jam spread all over his trouser leg.

"But, Malfoy," Ene breathed, "there was no need for finding such an absurd excuse for us." She snuggled her head on Goyle's shoulder. Goyle's mouth stood wide open so Hedwig might have built a nest in there.

Lil let her fingers run through Crabbe's sparse hair and said: "Exactly, Malfoy, everyone is permitted to know we're here for our sweethearts. Oh, sorry, I forgot, you wanted to prevent letting all your classmates know you're the only one still single!" And in playful gestures she let her fingers run up and down Crabbe's arms, while Crabbe smiled idiotically and obviously had switched off his thinking.

Ene placed herself at Goyle's side so that his arm laid around her shoulders and added: "Heavens, yes, poor Malfoy! Still no girlfriend and the hand looks so swollen already..."

And in a jiffy, Ene and Lil separated from the boys and went back to the Gryffindor table. After a few seconds of absolute silence, ringing laughter filled the hall, whereupon Malfoy and his two sidekicks hurried out.

After breakfast Hermione, Ene, and Lil went up to the library. Here they brooded over a heap of books for hours and tried to make out what the dress of their dreams should look like. Hermione had offered to produce dresses for Ene and Lil also because they were not allowed to work magic here. Ene wanted a long black robe of simple elegance, a little lace, and a low décolleté. Lil wished for a tight, short dress in dark green for it would match her grey-green eyes. Hermione couldn't make up her mind, that's why she underwent an intensive guidance about style and colour. Finally, Hermione brought herself to choose a knee-long dress of various layers of lilac-coloured chiffon. At last she said, now she had found the best spells for dresses, and then it was about time for dinner.


	7. Light and shadow

Light and shadow

Ron and Harry already sat at the table but were listlessly chewing with their heads bent.

"What's the matter with you?" Hermione asked. "I thought you went to Hagrid and the pregnant unicorn. Is something wrong with the foal?"

Ron sighed: "No, everything is allright with the unicorn; Hagrid said it might be born in the next days. There are other bad news. Harry?"

Harry propped his elbows on the table and leaned his head on both hands, then he said: "I received an owl from my godfather. The Dark Mark has been seen several times, even in this region. The whole Ministry of Magic is in a flurry of excitement and prohibited the Daily Prophet from reporting about it because it could hinder the investigations. I had to tell Hagrid because..."

He paused. Ron continued: "His godfather fears that you-know-who could try to steal the foal because there are special energies inherent in the foal during its first five days. Hagrid immediately went to Dumbledore and I think they'll try to establish a pretty good protective magic. But no one feels really o.k. with that." 

This upset even the trainees' stomachs. After a few bites they only wanted to go to bed and left the hall.

Neville called to them sadly: "Hey, done already? Won't we have a little chat?"

For the next day, Ene was assigned to Hagrid. Every break he hurried to the pregnant unicorn that waited at the edge of the forest for her time to come. He told Ene everything about unicorns and was happy she knew so much about horses. But Ene had never before experienced the birth of a foal. Hagrid explained that help was often needed when horses gave birth to a foal and the procedure wasn't easy as well with unicorns so one should better stay near for any eventualities. The unicorn herself seemed to believe it, otherwise it wouldn't have stayed at the edge of the woods and near Hagrid.

Meanwhile, Madam Pomfrey introduced Lil to the magical art of healing and showed her quite proud the semifinished drink Kalidasania which could heal speech disorders. Moreover, they fixed up some students with seemingly usual pains and aches: contusions and incised wounds from flying around objects, wounds and excrescences made by miscarried potions, sprains from risky flying performances and so on. Even Neville had to be doctored once for he had achieved to turn a shoelace into a viper – and the animal had bitten him immediately. 

Lil wheedled some remainders of medicine for self-supply out of Madam Pomfrey: Subnaja herbage against toothaches, Kajeput oil against sprains and contusions, Redimecula tea leaves against headaches, Ventressa juice against bellyache and so on. 

Then it came to Madam Pomfrey's mind that Lil was going to have lessons with Professor Sprout starting Wednesday, so she began to name her the medicinal properties of plants and fruits shown on a large illustration on the wall of the sick-room: "Well, see, Professor Sprout will only teach you how the plants will thrive best but I can tell you why they should thrive, I mean, what good we have from them. Look here, this is a Kajeput tree from which the oil is obtained. Here is a Krowdaw bush, its berries give a medicine against hypertension. This one is an Apiarist tree, its fruit is edible and very interesting for women 'cause if the tongue turns honey yellow a few hours after eating the woman is unmistakably pregnant. Now, this is Luetzeous dittander, a so called weed, but a decoction of its leaves dispels every cold. And here we have..." So it went on till dinner time.

On Tuesday Harry received another owl from his godfather. He had watched the Muggles' news and according to these some mediums, that are suprasensuous Muggles, had felt a concentration of evil exactly in the region of Hogwarts; of course, the Muggles didn't know about Hogwarts or Hogsmeade, but Sirius knew about their locations and so he was able to classify the report.

After breakfast, Ene hurried back to Hagrid's hut to feed some weird animals called stolidupps; Hagrid was too concerned about the unicorn and for that he had ordered Ene to care for these seemingly brain-poor animals. "They're as cute as Tribbles but even too dumb to find their feeding bowl," Ene said while leaving.

Today, Lil learned from Madam Pomfrey how to make a paste against psoriasis out of the pus of Bubotubes. Right in the middle of it Madam Pomfrey looked frowning through the great glass pane of the medicine room into the entrance room of the hospital wing. "Now, there is is girl again... Hello, Darling, are you sure I can't help you?"

A blonde girl, approximately of the sixth grade, fought shy of a decision, then looked up with fright and only said: "Oh, no, thank you!" Then she quickly left the hospital wing.

"Very odd!" Madam Pomfry said. "She was here two times last week but as I talk to her she's gone. Her name is Anna, but I never had a lot to do with her. Do you know her?"

Lil shook her head. "No, I cannot remember having talked to her."

Ene didn't show up for dinner, and Hagrid was also missing. The students who in the afternoon were taught by Hagrid, told that the lesson ended early for the foal was to be born. Harry and Ron agreed to meet Hagrid late that night. 

Hermione wasn't pleased with that. "You're not allowed to leave school at night. Do you want to spoil your last year because you long to see a golden unicorn foal? You can leave the Protective Spell to Dumbledore, he knows what he is doing."

Ron looked at her almost pitiful. "Hermione, we cracked the spells around the Philosopher's Stone in our first year. And you-know-who would definitely try another one, you agree?"

Very softly Hermione said: "Just be careful!"

Ron gently squeezed her hand, and they looked at each other for a long time.

Harry looked over to Dumbledore at the teachers' table and murmured: "I hope he can protect the little unicorn."

"Oh, how cute!" an icecold voice came from the end of the table; there stood Malfoy with Crabbe and Goyle. "A couple holding hands, a funk worrying for a fresh unicorn, and...," he looked up and down Lil who had already stood up from the table, "and a trollop who doesn't know how to behave."

Crabbe and Goyle smirked. Lil was wearing a miniskirt and modest patterned stockings to which Malfoy's look seemed to be glued.

Hermione glanced at Lil sternly: "Keep calm, ignore him."

But Lil didn't ignore Malfoy at all. She put on a rather unnatural soft smile, placed one leg on a chair, and let her hands run along her leg; like hypnotized, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle follwed every single movement of her hands with their heads.

"Oh, Malfoy," Lil said with a saccharine voice, "don't you like what you see? Is it envy that I hear?"

Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be frozen and Malfoy swallowed hard before he was able to ask: "Envy?"

Lil gave him a pitiful look, walked over to him and pressed softly against him. "Yes, I know you don't dare to wear something like this and your two pet doggies don't have the shape for it."

With these words she let her forefinger run along his cheek and then left the hall straightaway. Malfoy and his chums were speechless but Ron threw himself on the table with laughter.

In a corner of the hall, Anna, the skinny blonde girl from the hospital wing, had watched the scene with stony face.

Late that night Lil heard Ene coming back. Lil stood up and walked over to Ene.

"How has it been?" she asked.

Ene looked all fagged out but she was beaming all over her face. "It was soooo great! But it took a long time, the foal wasn't born before midnight. When Hagrid could grab those tow little golden hoofs, it seemed that the whole forest was bathed in a golden light. And Hagrid didn't have to pull hard, it all seemed to work out easily. This cute little foal! Beautiful! We soon rubbed it off with straw and then the mother started to lick it clean. Hagrid and I just stood there and smiled, though it poured cats and dogs. We took care of everything the two might need the next time for they will be protected by a spell. Finally Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived and they sent me away. What a pity! But I'm sticky all over my body. My, did we sweat! Lil, please don't be cross with me for I'm giving you the bounce but I'm in urgent need for a shower and sleep, otherwise I won't survive tomorrow," Ene said.

Lil sighed: "Doesn't matter, it's dreadfully late. Good night, Ene!" Lil stood up and nearly got hit by the door which was slammed open by Ron.

"Gimme a hand!" he whispered.

Harry was half hanging on Ron; Lil went to them and put her arm under Harry's other shoulder and helped him to the chair.

Ron heaved: "Nobody must find us here!"

Ene wanted to close the door but she looked on the floor and beckoned Ron to come: "Well, then dry the floor with a spell or you're easy to follow!"

Ron pulled out his wand, pointed at the wet footmarks in the hallway and said: "_Desertium!_" 

In an instant, the floor was dry again. Steps came near and Ene quickly closed the door.

"Kshsh," Ron hissed in the table's direction.

They were still as a mouse. They heard steps walking up and down in front of the door but then the steps grew ever more silent, and finally they heard a distant door clap shut.

"Phew, that was close," Ron moaned.

"Where do you feel pain?" asked Lil who stood beside Harry.

"My ankle, my left ankle. I twisted my ankle. But I think it's just wrenched," Harry said, and his face was distorted with pain.

"Show me, I can already distinguish between fracture and sprain," Lil said.

Harry lifted his leg a little and Lil took off shoe and sock – both soaking wet.

"Oh, yes!" Ron said, raised his wand again and dried Harry's and his own things.

Then Lil examined the ankle carefully – nevertheless the movements to and fro did hurt a lot and Harry breathed heavily through his squeezed teeth.

"No, it's not broken," Lil said, "but the ankle is already considerably swelling. It could be a sparin or a torn ligament. You should go to Madam Pomfrey at once."

"No, that's impossible!" Harry exclaimed in a flutter.

Ron agreed with him on this point: "If he shows up there, now it's crystal clear that WE have been outside. Filch is looking for the figures he saw just now. Harry, can you see it through till tomorrow?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but I surely won't sleep. And I can't walk on my injured foot. How will I get to our tower?"

"Well, we throw the magic cloak about us and I'll support you, like I did before," Ron replied coolly.

"Oh, I want to see THAT dodge," Lil said dryly, "when you're supporting him and Harry is boisterously hopping through the building on one leg – hmhm, lemme gues, how long will it take Filch to catch you?"

"Damn! I didn't think about that!" Ron exclaimed.

After a while, Lil said: "I have a few things from Madam Pomfrey in my room because usually I get injuries like this one. I'll fetch the stuff."

"No, you all go over there, otherwise I'm gonna fall asleep on the table, sticky as I am," Ene objected and added: "Harry will manage those few steps and I really need my sleep or tomorrow Snape will tear me apart limb by limb if I'm not in best condition. Tomorrow? No, later, it's almost two o'clock. Please, go over!"

"Sure, I'll make it," Harry said and lifted himself from the chair. Ron and Lil supported him and Ene opened the door.

In the next room, Lil doctored Harry's ankle with the Kajeput oil and gave him a pain-killer. 

"Lay down for a while, with a little luck the swelling won't increase so much and the pain-killer works better, then," Lil recommended and she and Ron helped Harry to the bed.

Then Ron and Lil drew the chairs near the bed and the three talked about what had happened outside.

Ron and Harry had slipped out to see if the foal's birth was going to be all right. They had searched the area for peculiarities and had also observed the sky in case the Dark Mark would show up. Luckily they hadn't seen the Dark Mark but a kind of black shadow floating throgh the trees, and then another one which had stayed near the ditch running to the school. "Those were definitely Death Eaters," Ron remarked. Both shadows then glided in the direction of the unicorn and Harry and Ron had followed them. But about hundred meters before the place where a golden unicorn had come into the world, it looked as if a lightning had struck the shadows. They had thrown themselves back and forth, had reared up, and then they had dashed directly towards Ron and Harry. In panic the two guys had fled, and jumping over the ditch Harry had slipped and twisted on the wet grass. He and Ron had laid at the edge of the ditch for a while and had seen how the shadows vanished southwards; seemingly they hadn't noticed the boys. Then Ron had supported Harry back to school and they both had soggily reached the doorway but Filch must have been on the lurk and had heard the portal clap shut. Three seconds later they had heard him rushing near, and in their need they had fled into Ene's room.

After all had been told, Harry wanted to try if he could walk better now – it was a complete washout because immediately tears welled up in his eyes.

"Won't work, Harry," Ron declined, "you better stay here for the night, I'll put a pillow under your blanket up there, and I'll pick you up early next morning and accompany you to the hospital wing. So no one will notice you haven't been in your bed. O.K.?"

Harry looked at Ron with eyes wide open: "Where should I sleep here, on two chairs? Then I'm really going to get me a fracture."

Lil frowned and said: "Nay, the bed is almost one and a half meters in width and none of us is that fat. If you sleep on this side, I'll take the other one. We won't get in each other's way. Or do you snore?"

Harry smiled: "No, but that's asking a bit too much."

"I can pretty well live with it," Lil told him, "and Ron as well. He's totally wiped-out. Do you think you'll make it to the tower unseen?"

"Sure, for I don't hobble and I'll take the Magic Cloak," Ron replied laughing. He went for the door and listened: "Seems to be quiet. Well then, till tomorrow!" and with this he slipped through the door.

Lil locked the door and asked: "Do you need anything, Harry?"

Harry smirked. "Yes, the bathroom. Wait..." He raised his wand and transformed the curtain rod into a ramshackle crutch. "I don't have to hop, then," he said. He limped into the bathroom and Lil laid herself dead tired down on the other side of the bed. She didn't even hear Harry coming back and laying himself down again.


	8. Aha!

****

Aha!

Harry woke up very early. It was just dawning and Lil slept soundly. Harry didn't feel any pain, rose up, and tried to stand. There was no problem, he could stand upon his foot again with all the weight of his body. He sat down on a chair at the table and put on his shoes. Then he thought he wouldn't have to wake Lil, he might just write a short note for her that he's feeling a lot better, and then he could vanish before Ron would knock on the door. Lil's stationary was laying on the table and he pulled the parchments towards him. He only needed a piece of empty parchment to tear off. His glance fell on the written words. Spells. Quite usual. Or not? Wait a moment – these were all spells for beginners. Even the most simple charms, already known by many students before enrollment, had been written down and explained. Then again formulas for advanced students, everything topsy-turvy. He looked at the books on the table: _What is Magic?, The Magical World: An Introduction for Muggle Parents of Witches and Wizards, The History of Hogwarts_ and _How You Can Hide You Are a Squib_. Harry was puzzled and stared at the things on the table with his mouth open.

Muggle Parents, Squibs? Of what use were these books for a witch in traineeship? And why had she written down spells even a Squib would know off backwards? Hastily he looked through the other parchments – all were filled with the same hotchpotch of spells. Suddenly Lil turned towards him; the rustle of the parchments had woken her and made it perfectly clear where she was, so today she could see the room right away.

She looked at Harry with sleepy eyes. "Hi, how are you?" she asked.

"My ankle is o.k., if it's that what you mean. I'm just quite ruffled. Lil, are you a Muggle?"

He had asked the question very quietly but there had been a shiver in his voice. Lil set up, looked at Harry sternly, and kept silent. Harry stood aghast and watched Lil disbelievingly.

"So I'm right, yes? How did you come here?"

"With the Hogwarts Express, as you know."

"That's not what I meant. How could you enter the school building?"

"What can I say? It just worked."

"How did you manage it all right with the teachers?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you about it."

"So, Ene is also a Muggle and you never attened this school in the Hindukush?"

"I don't even know if there is any school for wizardry."

"You were lying all the time?"

"No, but I didn't tell the truth continuously. What else should I do?"

"Now, come on, what other lies did you tell?"

"What do you want? You mean something in peculiar?"

"Oh, for example, when you told me, you like me – was that a lie, too?"

"No, that was an understatement at the most."

Harry stopped. "Understatement?" he asked after a pause. "What does that mean?"

Lil didn't manage to answer because steps could be heard in the hallway. Then a timid knock on the door, and Ron asked: "Awake already? Let me in!"

Harry unlocked the door and let Ron enter.

Ron was amazed: "Wow, you feel a whole lot better, don't you? Still wanna go to the hospital wing?"

"Yes," Harry said sourly, "I like that better. Some things are really fishy here."

The two guys left the room and Lil let herself sink down on her pillow – but she couldn't fall asleep again.

When Lil was almost ready to go for breakfast, it knocked again on her door. She opened. 

Harry stood in front of her and only said: "I have to talk with you. Now."

Lil let him enter, sat down, and started to pin up her hair.

"Take a seat," she offered to Harry, but he just declined.

"No, thanks, I'm a little nervous, you know? Now, spit it out: What are two Muggles up to here in Hogwarts and how could you get the teachers round to agree to this?"

Lil moaned. "Harry, really, I'm not permitted to tell you anything about it, I had to promise. Go to the teachers and tell them, or ask them what you wanna know, but I'm duty-bound to secrecy."

Harry thought about it for a while, now and again he ran his hands wildly through his hair; he breathed haltingly.

"No, not so fast!" he spat out. "I can neither make head nor tail of it now, and as long as I'm still groping in the dark I'm not going to spread it abroad. Who knows what's at the bottom of it. And you're not willing to shed light upon this matter."

Lil looked at him entreatingly. "Harry, please! I promised. Would you think better of me if I'd send a given promise down the drain?"

Now Harry was tearing his hair and walked to and fro. "Damn, I can't think of anything! It's driving me crazy! Too much is happening. You could be here by special order, good or bad. Maybe even the Ministry of Magic has sent you as spys, who knows? They come to the most strange decisions, there. On the other hand you could be a real danger for the whole school. If only I knew..."

Lil had stood up and seized his shoulder. "Harry, we're definitely no danger for the school, this is something I should be allowed to tell you. Don't rack your brains about it. Ene and me, we're totally harmless, trust me."

Harry shook his head. "Often enough I misjudged people here. Sirius, Peter Pettigrew, and so on. Before I reach a decision concerning Ene and you; I want to think it all over intensely. I'll keep the secret for the moment but I don't feel comfortable with it. When I notice something odd with you and Ene which might prove menacing, you're up against the wall. Get me?"

Lil nodded. Harry nodded, too, and then went out without another word.

Soon behind, Ene went in. "What monster had bitten Harry? He didn't even say ‚Good Morning'."

Lil blew out breath from the depths of her lungs: "He found out we're Muggles."


	9. That's no mind blower

****

That's no mind blower

At breakfast Harry and Lil were markedly quiet, unlike Ene. She was very chirpy because today she was going to have her first lesson with Professor Snape – and all she had heard about it wasn't comforting. She bid the others good-bye as if she had to mount the scaffold but it was only a staircase downstairs, always following the professor's greasy hair.

In the cellar where he was teaching potions, it was cold and somehow musty – matching Snape's mood. He was impossible to please not only for his students but also for Ene.

"Ms Walim, poke the fire stronger... no, much stronger... that was too much, a little less... well, not THAT less, don't behave stupidly!"

Ene went bottled up.

She had to bone grasshoppers. ("Not so finicking, Ms Walim, the animals are already dead.")

She had to bottle onion extract. (Oh, Ms Walim, tears? What a pity for your eye make-up!")

She had to sniff at the brewing attempts of the students. ("Now look here everybody, Ms Walim's face turned all green, so you were using too many Saurach leaves.")

It didn't work out well; and Ene was out of tune so much under the scale even whales wouldn't have heard her.

The second class this morning was the graduating class and Malfoy seemed to enjoy creating a clog-dance on Ene's nerves. He let his chopper "unintentionally" drop on Ene's shoe. Then he stumbled so ill-fated he could at least stop himself from falling, his handful of fly legs landed – sorry, sorry, so sorry – in Ene's hair.

Unnerved, Ene was now helping, ordered by Snape, Neville working his way through the difficult recipe of this lesson, hopefully without forgetting a single ingredient. In the thick of it, Snape ordered her to come to Malfoy's kettle because Malfoy thought, his potion turned out so well the trainee should under all circumstances taste it.

Ene stared at the deep-green gyle, turned up her nose, and asked: "What will this junk do?"

"That's a surprise!" Malfoy beamed cunningly, "Professor Snape will be enthusiastic."

"Aha," Ene said coolly, "then he should try it. I won't touch this stuff."

Snapes look grew dark. "Ms Walim, you will taste this potion immediately!"

Ene went as straight as a ramrod and looked Snape in the eyes. "I'm here for learning, not for tasting other peoples food. Just tuck in, I won't drink up something that is intended for you."

The whole class stopped breathing. Reluctance against Snape?

Seamus whispered: "Ohhh, I'm afraid, this is the end of the world as we know it!"

Snapes eyes took the shape of two hyphens. He hissed: "Didn't I make myself clear? Take the spoon and try it! This is part of the subject matter I'm going to teach you." He stood perfectly still.

Ene looked at him in absolute innocence. "I'm sorry, but I already have a task that isn't finished yet: I shall help Neville with his potion." And with this she turned around and went straight over to Neville who felt rather uneasy.

Snape went after her with great paces. "This is insubordination! I'll take care your credentials will be accordingly. You didn't follow a teacher's order..."

"Now, keep the ball low!" Ene interrupted, "one thing after the other. First, you told me to help Neville, and before the task is done you ordered another one. It does not work this way. It doesn't support the learning process. And your arguments are not..."

The students stared spellbound at this scene; Ene and Snape became ever louder. Nobody cared for Neville's kettle in which, now that the gyle wasn't stirred anymore, it started to boil and to frizzle until with a bang a geysir of a tar-like mass poured over Snape, Ene, and Neville.

"Eeeeeh" and "Oooooh" escaped the students' throats.

Snape was completely quiet again. "Very well, Mr Longbottom. Good, your potion had already been so much overcooked that the liquid didn't have any magical power. Five points deduction for Gryffindor. Go changing your clothes. The lesson is over. Ms Walim, wash yourself conscientiously, you're odd war paint is inappropriate here."

In a malicious voice Ene said: "That's just what the man with the most oily hair in this school has to talk about. If Ms Norris hopped on your head she'd slip down." Even while Snape was trying to bring his plate-big eyes down to normal size, Ene was out of the door and slammed it shut. Wham!

In a towering rage she trudged through the hallways to her room. For it was near lunch-time, some student's already filled the hallways, and Lil coming right out of the herb garden, saw Ene vanishing into her room, and so she went straight after her.

Lil knocked and the answer was a loud: "What's up?"

Cautiously Lil opened the door. "Hoohoo, Ene, just me, don't panic. May I enter?"

"Yes!" Ene snapped and peeled her dripping and stenching clothes off. 

"Oha!" Lil said. "Ene, did you fall into Getafix's kettle with magic potion? Should I get you a menhir?"

"Don't joke, Lil! I'm not in the mood! Today every fly bothering me is in for it, even if I had to aim at it with a mortar! I must take a shower."

"Ok, I'll get us some food from the hall so we can eat here in peace while your hair is drying."

Lil went off to the hall and hurriedly filled up two plates and went back to Ene with these. Ene had slightly calmed down and told during the meal what had happened.

"My revenge will be awful! Compared to me, Godzilla is a plushy teddy. I'm gonna roast Snape over a low flame and then crush him cause I weigh four centners in my rage – at least."

Lil grimaced. "Ene, Sweetheart, calm down, you don't seriously wanna get into a fight with Snape? You remember he is a fully grown wizard, yes?"

Ene laughed disdainfully: "Peh, he is a man, I'm gonna cut him down to size!"

With this she let drop her fork down to the plate and opened the cupboard. While examining a few clothes, she murmured: "He doesn't like my war paint? Just wait, chap, you'll never again see lips so red. Ah, that's good!"

She pulled out a black, but translucent ankle-length skirt of fine fabric, and a likewise black corsage of leather.

Lil started to cough. "You wanna wear this during classes? Does your revenge go by the name of: ‚How I made his pants burst'?"

Ene smiled diabolically. "Nice title, isn't it?" She disappeared into the bathroom and came back just in time before the end of the lunch-break. She was only missing a whip for the perfect domina-look. Her make-up was extreme, but this time her lipstick was not black.

"Huuuaaah, what's the color of your lipstick? Bordello red?"

"Close," Ene said, "And now the curtain rises for the second act."

Shaking her head, Lil went back in the direction of the herb garden for the next lesson with Professor Sprout. She could see a picture of Ene so clearly before her eyes that she hardly saw the way and ran promptly into some blonde.

"Whoops! I'm sorry, I didn't meant to!"

The blonde girl was Anna who had dark circles under her eyes and looked quite puzzled.

"No problem, nothing happened," she said very quietly.

"Are you sure? You look really bushed. Don't wanna let Madam Pomfrey have a look? You've been to the hospital wing a few times before."

Anna shook her head vigorously. "No, everything is... fine, everything is... ohohoooooo..."

She started to sob without restraint. Lil softly took her into her arms.

"Oh, my, not that fine, I believe. Tell me what's bringing you down, I can keep my mouth shut."

She led Anna to a quiet corner and tried to worm the problem out of her. It took a few minutes but then Lil realised that Anna feared to be pregnant.

"You're not sure about it, Anna?" she asked

Anna shook her head. "How can you ascertain? I don't want anybody to know!"

Lil put her hand on Anna's shoulder. "Madam Pomfrey told me of the Apiarist fruit one might eat when expecting to be expectant. If the tongue turns yellow as honey after a few hours, you're pregnant. Does the tongue stay red as always, you're not. I have already seen the Apiarist tree in the herb garden and I can get you a fruit. Then at least you know it."

"Thanks," Anna sighed.

"Anna, don't be afraid, no matter what the test brings. Many children are surprises to their parents and make them happy nonetheless. And you definitely won't be alone, not even here in school. Madam Pomfrey should be enthusiastic because she never had to attend to a pregnancy, here. And Professor Dumbledore surely wouldn't have any objections to magic offsprings, after all this school should last for a long time. And outside school, well, how's about the might-to-be-father?"

Anna let her glance drop. "When I told it might have happened, he said I shouldn't try that on him. I should wait and then he'll find a solution without endangering his reputation. I won't get any real help from him."

Anna swallowed dryly and Lil sighed. "Guys! Haven't you noticed earlier that he's a skank? Why did you get mixed up with him?"

Anna smiled slightly. "Hmmm, he looks good, comes of a respectable family, he is intelligent, and he has such a... way to talk you in. It just happened, during summer holidays. There had been a social event at the estate of his parents, an association for the upkeeping of the pure blood was going to be established, and my parents took me along. It was great, music and dance – he danced with me and paid me so many compliments. Then we went for a stroll and... well."

Lil squinted her eyes. "After what you just told me, may I try a random shot? That guy, is it Malfoy?"

Anna seemed to be frightened to death. "Oh, my gosh, don't tell anyone. It'll only bring trouble! Please!"

Lil stroked Anna's hair. "Don't be afraid, I won't blab it out. I'll give you the Apiarist fruit before dinner. And when you know what's up tomorrow, you're gonna tell me right me away, ok? Then we shall see." Anna nodded silently, and then they parted.


	10. Snapy-Baby

****

Snapy-Baby

Ene entered the cellar after all of the students had taken their seats and Snape had built himself up behind his small podium.The light coming through the still open door behind Ene let Snape perceive exactly HOW translucent Ene's skirt was indeed, and he swiftly turned his glance away. Apparently, he wanted to avoid another incident like this morning, but half an hour before dinner a certain malevolence got the whip hand over him. Nothing went on quick enough for him and he rushed Ene to and fro to get this, and take away that, clean that pot... When he ordered Ene to rinse a small glass phial again because it wasn't totally clean, she followed his behest, and then went slowly over to Snape who was sitting at his desk. She placed herself in front of the desk and bent down deeply until her upper body ran parallel to the tabletop, and propped her elbows on the table. In her hands she turned the phial, precisely level with the décolleté of her corsage.

"I'm unsure, Professor, is the phial really clean, now?" she breathed.

Snapes eyes went through another sudden process of growth, he swallowed dryly and coughed a little. "Eh, yes, eh, I think it'sssssss all right..." he managed to say with a choked voice. Nervously he let his eyes go astray to the students but after a few seconds they always came back to Ene.

Ene smiled sugar-sweet and took a tiny brush, about the size of a mascara brush, and said: "See, with this brush you can reach the smallest corners, you only have to let her slide in and out," and with this she pushed the brush into the phial, pulled it out a little, pushed again and so on. Snape seemed hypnotized.

"Does this satisfy you, Professor?" Ene asked innocently.

Snape stared onto the phial – at least it seemed that way. But when Ene placed the phial on the table, Snape's look stayed on the same height, that means at the edge of Ene's corsage.

"Professor?" Ene asked.

"Hmhm?" was the absentminded answer.

And suddenly Ene's voice was cold as ice: "If you want to talk to me, look into my eyes, that means a little higher! The other region is none of your business!" 

Snape startled. Ene took the phial and put it on a shelf.

Snape seemed to have lost his sense of direction and said almost tonelessly to his students: "Ehm, for the next hour you repeat the last two chapters and write an essay about... eh... what you have learned. The lesson is over."

Ene went straight through the turmoil of the students and so didn't give Snape any opportunity for another argument.

Before dinner, Lil furtively gave an Apiarist fruit to Anna who immediately disappeared into her house with it.

Harry didn't seem as tense as in the morning. He told that he had reported to Dumbledore about the sight of two black figures at the edge of the forest in the night; only the fact that he hadn't seen them from outside and not from inside the school building had he left unmentioned. Dumbledore had assured Harry that whatever was necessary would be done to protect the unicorn foal and that the two figures had also been percieved by himself because they had went into the freshly-spoken spell and fled like startled chicken.

Shortly before the meal was served, Dumbledore explained details for next Saturday, namely what class was allowed how long at the festivity at the Three Broomsticks, which teacher were to accompany the classes there and back, that even the trainees were allowed to go and all that jazz. So the students had enough to talk about for the whole evening.

Ene, Hermione, and Lil wanted to sit together for a while to plan the sprucing up on Saturday. On the way to the guestrooms they passed a group of teachers including Sprout, Hooch, Flitwick, and Snape.

Hermione was just saying: "... and Lil, we could pin up our hair each other, it's much easier that way..." as Ene interrupted her exactly when passing by Snape: "Yes, but by all means WASH the hair before that. Some people seem to refrain from that for years."

But no-one noticed Snape's petrified face. 

Notice: Seven chapters are still to come


End file.
